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Warren Garst

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Warren Garst
1st Industrial Commissioner of Iowa
In office
July 1913 – 1914
Appointed byGeorge W. Clarke
19th Governor of Iowa
In office
November 24, 1908 – January 14, 1909
LieutenantVacant
Preceded byAlbert B. Cummins
Succeeded byBeryl F. Carroll
Lieutenant Governor of Iowa
In office
January 17, 1907[1] – November 24, 1908
GovernorAlbert B. Cummins
Preceded byJohn Herriott
Succeeded byGeorge W. Clarke
Member of the Iowa Senate
from the 48th district
In office
January 8, 1894 – January 13, 1907
Personal details
Born(1850-12-04)December 4, 1850
Dayton, Ohio, US
DiedOctober 5, 1924(1924-10-05) (aged 73)
Iowa City, Iowa, US
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Elizabeth Johnson (died 1881)
Clara H. Clark Lee (m. 1889)
Children4
ProfessionPolitician

Warren Garst (December 4, 1850 – October 5, 1924) was an American politician, Iowa State Senator, a member of the Republican Party, the Lieutenant Governor of Iowa, and the 19th Governor of Iowa.[2]

Early Life

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Garst was born to Dr. Michael Garst and Marie Louise Morrison in Dayton, Ohio.[1][2][3][4][5] His father's side was descended from Holland and his mother's from Ireland.[1] At age 8 he and his family moved to Champaign, Illinois. At age 19 he moved to Iowa to start his business career.[1] He and his brother went to Coon Rapids, Iowa, to open a general store called The Garst Store.[1][2][4][5] He later co-founded Iowa Savings Bank in Coon Rapids.[1][2][4]

Garst and Elizabeth Johnson had one child, Ada Belle Garst. Elizabeth died in 1881. He then married to Clara H. Clark Lee, in 1889 in Boone, and had two children: Louise Garst and Warren Carroll Garst Jr.[1][4][6]

Political Career

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Iowa Senate

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Garst started his political career when he ran for State Senate in 1893 and became a member of the Iowa Senate 1894.[1][2][4][5] He served in the 25th through 31st General Assemblies (1894-1908).[1][2][5] From 1896 to 1907, he was the chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations.[1][5]

Lieutenant Governor and Governor

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He was nominated for lieutenant governor at the Republican Convention in 1906 and was inaugurated on January 17, 1907.[2][4][5]

When Governor Albert B. Cummins was elected into the United States Senate he was elevated to the position of Governor of Iowa.[1][2][4][5] During his short time as governor he carried out the Cummins administration's policies.[2] He was urged to run for a full term as governor, but lost the 1910 Republican primary to State Auditor Beryl F. Carroll 49% to 35%, with the votes being: Carroll receiving 88,834 votes; Garst, 63,737; and John J. Hamilton, 29,292.[1][4]

Industrial Commissioner

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In July 1913, Garst was appointed by Governor George W. Clarke to be Industrial Commissioner.[1] He helped to get laws enacted to get workers compensated for industrial accidents.[1]

Later Life

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He died on October 5, 1924, and was buried at the Glendale Cemetery in Des Moines, Iowa.[2][4]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Iowa: Its History and Its Foremost Citizens - 1915 - G". The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Gov. Warren Garst". National Governors Association. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  3. ^ "Fifth Generation". Rootsweb. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i "THE BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF IOWA University of Iowa Press Digital Editions Garst, Warren". University of Iowa. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g "Warren Garst Carroll County". Iowa State Senate. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  6. ^ "Sixth Generation". Rootsweb. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
Political offices
Preceded by Lieutenant Governor of Iowa
1907–1908
Succeeded by
Preceded by Governor of Iowa
1908–1909
Succeeded by